“What data will I collect to provide evidence of the consequences of my actions and how should I collect it?”
In order to see if the action you take has addressed the issue/problem you’ve identified you will need to collect information or data.
To determine if your data aligns with your research question ask yourself the following questions:
- What are you trying to do?
- What is the main purpose of conducting your research?
Data can include both qualitative data and information that can be quantified, tabulated, and, analyzed using statistics.
Tip:
Keep in mind that action research is a form of qualitative research. Quantifying your data does not mean you are conducting a quantitatively designed study. You can include quantifiable data within your study if they inform your research. Some data such as surveys, questionnaires and checklists can be quantified and the results can be presented in a quantifiable format.
Data Collection Strategies
Before implementing the research plan, you must decide on the data collection strategies you will use in your action research study.
Having a lot of data is useless unless it is connected to what you are studying. Be sure you are collecting data that aligns with your research question and purpose of your research. Collecting baseline data (i.e. from classroom observation sheets, survey, and questionnaire) will help you see what is taking place before you enact your study/pedagogical strategies.
Below are the 3 main types of data collection strategies. We will expand on each of these types in the subsequent sections.
Certain types of data will require ethics board approval. The * refers to data collection types that will require consent.
Artifacts
- Tests/Quizzes/Exams
- Written assignments
- Presentations
- Projects
- Journals
- Peer assessments
- Self-assessments
- Student records (i.e. grades)
Observational Data
- Field notes/observational records
- Logs
- Checklists
- Tally sheets
- Organizational maps
- Behaviour scales
- Videotapes*
- Audiotapes*
- Photographs*
Inquiry Data
- Interviews*
- Focus groups*
- Conferencing*
- Surveys/ questionnaires
- Attitude scales
Additional Resources:
Collecting Data for Action Research
Additional Resources
These activities and resources will help when planning your data collection and in the design of your data collection methods.
- Watch the following video: Collecting Data for Action Research (11:37 minutes)
Riel, Margaret. “T7: Collecting Data for Action Research.”
YouTube, 7 Sept 2018, https://youtu.be/JHSnAllFniY - Once you’ve finished watching Riel’s video tutorial, navigate to the Tutorial 7 Activities: https://www.actionresearchtutorials.org/7-activities.
THen, read section A (Planning – Create a Data Collection Plan) and section B (Planning – Building your Knowledge) - Next, navigate to the Tutorial 7 Resources: https://www.actionresearchtutorials.org/resources. Read section A (Planning – Create a Data Collection Plan) and section B (Planning – Learning How to Collect Data)
